The present invention relates to a storage container for video cassettes, and more particularly a universal video cassette storage container capable of accommodating video cassettes of various sizes and dimensions.
The usage of video cassettes has increased dramatically both in industrial and consumer applications, and thus there is a need at present for a container capable of accommodating video cassettes both for storage and shipping purposes. Although there are several types of video cassette containers available on the market at present, in general, each of such prior art containers have certain shortcomings, as more particularly noted hereinafter.
The conventional video cassette is generally made up of two reels which hold the video tape and which are rotatably mounted within a housing. The housing has a generally planar, rectangular configuration and includes two annular, access holes which give access to the hubs of the reels. When the video cassette is played on a recording machine which manipulates the video tape, two actuating hubs from the recording machine extend through the access holes of the video cassette housing and engage the hubs of the reels.
Video cassettes made by various manufacturers are basically of two different sizes, with the spacing between the access holes being different. Also, the diameters of the access holes of video cassettes made by various manufacturers are slightly different in dimensions. Because of these dimensional differences in video cassettes made by various manufacturers, the prior art video cassette containers have been generally limited to the use of one or two types of video cassettes made by various manufacturers.
As examples of prior art video cassettes which are designed to accommodate only a specified type of video cassette are the storage containers disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,071 issued Apr. 8, 1975; U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,940 issued Mar. 13, 1977; U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,206 issued Oct. 18, 1977; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,657 issued Mar. 14, 1978. In view of the fixed spacing of the hub-engaging members of each storage container according to the teachings of the above mentioned patents, each container is limited to use with a specific dimensioned video cassette, and thus in order to accommodate cassettes wherein the spacing of the access holes is different, it would be necessary to redesign the video storage container in order to adjust the spacing of the hub engaging members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,594 which issued on Jan. 22, 1980 provides a storage container which is capable of accommodating two different sizes of video cassettes, where the spacing between the access holes is different. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,594, there is disclosed a storage container capable of containing two different sizes of video cassettes by means of a pair of projections molded integrally within the top or bottom wall of the container. One of the projections is a pair of annular concentric members which extends into one of the access openings formed in the cassette. The other projection is an oval-shaped member formed by two semi-circular arcuate sections which terminate in end posts. One of the arcuate sections extends into a second access opening in the cassette and coincides with an outer arcuate curved section of the access opening when storing a small size cassette. The other arcuate section coincides with the inner arcuate curved section of an access opening when storing a larger size cassette. Accordingly, the storage container of U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,594 is limited to accommodating either one of two different size video cassette. Furthermore, a storage container made according to the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,594 must be of fairly precise construction in order to conform to the differential spacing in the openings within a video cassette. Still further, the resulting retaining means in the container disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,594 are of fairly complicated construction, thereby increasing the cost of manufacture of such storage container.
Accordingly, it is the object of the subject invention to provide a video cassette storage container which is capable of accommodating video cassettes of various sizes and dimensions, and which is operative to positively grip and hold a video cassette within the container regardless of dimensional variations in the size of the access holes in the video cassette.
It is a further object of the subject invention to provide a universal video cassette storage container which firmly grips the video cassette by a single retaining means so as to positively locate the video cassette within the storage container for facilitating storage and transporting of the video cassette.
It is still a further object of the subject invention to provide a universal video cassette storage container which is easy to use, of rigid construction, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.